Dutrow goes three-deep for Carter

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The Carter Handicap has long been a proving ground for champion sprinters and monstrous miler-types.

This year, however, Spring at Last is the only expected starter with a Grade 1 win on his resume, so the field won't be quite as strong as some recent editions.

"If it was, I wouldn't be showing up with them," said Rick Dutrow, in reference to City Attraction, Not for Money, and Stormin Normandy, his three prospective starters for the Carter's 108th running. "I'll probably run all three of them."

City Attraction and Not for Money each worked five furlongs on the main track on Tuesday, in 1:01.55 and 1:01.84, respectively. They will run off layoffs of 10 and seven weeks, while the New York-bred Stormin Normandy just wired an allowance sprint on March 22.

Dutrow, who won last year's Carter with the deep closer Silver Wagon, said his instructions will be to put Stormin Normandy on the lead.

City Attraction was beaten a neck in the Fall Highweight on the main track last Thanksgiving Day, and made two starts on the inner track, winning the Gravesend and finishing off the board as the Paumonok favorite. He was entered in the Toboggan on March 8, but scratched because of sloppy track conditions.

City Attraction shows a series of five-furlong works and has been breezing well, Dutrow said.

Not for Money has two allowance wins at the Carter distance - one on Aqueduct's main track last spring, and an off-the-pace score at Gulfstream last time out.

"Seven-eighths is right up his alley, and he likes the main track," said Dutrow.

Alexandros finds good spot in soft allowance

Among the eight claiming races on Thursday's card, five are for maidens, two for statebreds, and one for nonwinners of two races.

The nominal feature is a $47,000 first-level statebred allowance at a mile, which drew a field of seven.

Alexandros, a nine-length maiden winner out of the chute last November, had a frustrating winter campaign with five in-the-money finishes around two turns, but as one of only three horses on the entire card to have eclipsed a Beyer Speed Figure of 80 this year, he appears to be in a good spot for trainer Del Carroll II.

"He's been a real consistent horse, and I think he'll appreciate getting back on the main track," said Carroll. "Sometimes, horses need a change."

Commissioner Chris comes off an upset win over $10,000 claimers, and looms a threat if he runs back to that race.